corrente

Yep, he lied right to their faces. Incredible, but true!

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle took to the Senate floor Friday to call for a revote of the new Medicare law and an investigation into whether the Bush administration violated any laws by allegedly withholding the true cost of the measure from lawmakers.

Daschle (D-S.D.) said he was asking for the investigation based on a Knight Ridder news account that said a top Medicare official had been threatened with being fired if he revealed the real cost before Congress took its crucial vote. Daschle said lawmakers "voted under false pretenses" last fall when they narrowly approved the controversial bill that overhauled Medicare.

"They were called to vote without having the truth," Daschle said. "On an issue with these repercussions, we have no other choice but to revote this issue."

With an estimate of about $400 billion over 10 years, the House passed the measure by five votes. Bush officials said in January the cost would be closer to $530 billion.

Richard Foster, the chief actuary for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, was warned last summer not to reveal those figures or he would be fired.
(via Newsday)